


The 25th of Kislev

by DoctorQui



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hanukkah Fic, M/M, gabe is a supportive shegetz, screw you blizzard there are jewish characters in overwatch and you cant stop me, this is self indulgent hanukkah fluff but im a bitter jew let me have this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 12:39:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8980087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorQui/pseuds/DoctorQui
Summary: Snapshots of how Jack Morrison celebrates Hanukkah over the years, ranging from his days in SEP to the Recall.





	

**Date:** December 12th

 **Location:** SEP Barracks

 

December was arguably the worst month for the trainees at the SEP. Their injections increased in frequency, they were pushed to their absolute limits, and the entire facility was kept freezing cold (brushed off by the officers as wanting to train the recruits for multiple environments). Only a few rooms (namely the cafeteria and the executive offices) had any sort of heating system, leaving the rest of the base with only piles of threadbare blankets to keep themselves warm.

 

Jack stood in his room, pacing around the table. Could what he brought back from his leave be considered contraband? What he was doing wasn’t _wrong,_ per se, but a part of him knew going against the rules at all held serious consequences. Still, this was a yearly tradition, and he wouldn’t start missing it now.

 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the door to the room slid open and Gabriel rushed in, wrapped in layers of ragged blankets, only to immediately collide with Jack. Reeling back in surprise, Gabe blinked bemusedly at his roommate and partner standing in the middle of their room, lighter in hand and a sheepish grin on his face.

 

“Hey Gabe! Uh...didn’t expect you to be back so soon!” Jack laughed and scratched the back of his neck.

 

Gabe merely raised an eyebrow in response, wordlessly asking for an explanation.

 

“Ah. Um,” Jack stuttered, shifting from foot to foot. “Well I just got back from leave, as you know, and I kind of, uh, snuck some things in. Not illegal things!” He paused for a moment, reconsidering, then continued, “Well, yes illegal, but only illegal here! It’s not really--”

 

Holding up a hand, Gabe interrupted him with a hearty laugh. “Jackie, slow down. I trust you, man, was just surprised for a minute. What’d you bring? Something that’ll take the edge off this damned cold?”

 

Jack’s smile returned in full force. “Sort of! Check it out.” He turned, gesturing to the assortment of items that were gathered in front of him. There was a sack of potatoes, a bottle of oil, a large container of applesauce and another of sour cream, a box of candles, and, in a place of pride in the center, a small metal stand with two candles sticking out of it.

 

“Uh...what exactly is all this?” Gabe approached to examine the gathered objects more carefully. It seemed familiar, tickling at a memory in the far back of his mind, but he couldn’t quite place it.

 

“Oh. Sorry, I should’ve explained. It’s Hanukkah!” Jack put his hands on his hips and grinned. “It’s the first night, so I was about to light the shamash. After this I was going to sneak into the kitchen to make some latkes, which might help with the cold.”

 

“Right, right, I think I’ve heard of this. The Festival of Lights thing, right? Although…” Gabe hesitated, at a loss of what to say. “Uh, what _is_ a shamash? And a, um, latke?”

 

“The shamash is the center candle, which you use to light all the other ones, and a latke is a potato pancake. It’s a traditional Jewish dish, it’s real good, I promise.” Jack turned back to the menorah, reaching forward to light the centermost candle. After it was lit, he gently plucked it from its spot and lit the other candle, sitting at the rightmost end of the metal stand.

 

When that was done, he closed his eyes, reciting a musical prayer under his breath.

 

“ _Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam, shehecheyanu, vekiyimanu, behigianu, lizman ha-zeh.”_

 

Gabe watched on in a sort of awe. It’d been weeks since he’d seen someone so excited about something, let alone food and candle lighting. Jack’s cheer was absolutely infectious, bringing a smile to Gabe’s face as well.

 

“I’m not even going to ask what any of _that_ means. Let’s get this stuff to the kitchens, yeah?”

 

\---

 **Date:** December 22nd

 **Location:** Swiss Headquarters

 

“Gabe, seriously, I don’t know what you’re expecting to get out of this,” Jack sighed, reaching up to fidget with the thick black blindfold tied around his head.

 

“Hush, it’s not a surprise if you can see it while you’re walking in. And stop messing with that,” he smacked at Jack’s hand and tutted. “We’re almost there anyway.”

 

Jack pouted, but was otherwise silent. Gabe had shown up in the middle of his daily paperwork grind and practically forced him out of the office. Annoyed, but clearly intrigued, he went along with it.

 

As they walked Jack began to pick up on multiple scents. Aside from the usual smell sweat the hallways in the base held, there was also the unmistakeable scent of something fried. It was _delicious,_ whatever it was. Eventually Gabe guided him through a doorway, where he put a hand up to his chest to signal he should stop.

 

“Alright, you can take it off.”

 

Jack reached up excitedly to rip the fabric off his eyes.

 

The kitchen was decked out in blue and silver, twinkling tinsel and plastic stars hanging all about. A small, plastic tree hovered in the corner filled with numerous decorations and a sign that read “THE BUSH.” Scattered along the countertop were plates and bowls piled high with multiple servings of latkes and matzoh ball soup, all steaming hot. Next to the latkes on the counter was the menorah, shamash twinkling in the kitchen light. The tables had been decked out with dreidels and piles of gelt, as well as small laminated cards dictating the rules of playing dreidel.

 

And, most importantly, all of Jack’s closest friends were gathered in front, waiting for him. They cheered in celebration as he removed the blindfold, Reinhardt’s yelling especially notable.

 

 _“Hanukkah Sameach,_ Jack!” Angela approached, the kippah clipped to her hair bouncing with her steps.

 

Jack stood in place, mouth gaping. _“H-Hanukkah Sameach_ to you, as well. What is…”

 

“It’s Hanukkah, ain’t it, Jack? _Jefe_ here thought you’d forget with all the work you’ve been doin’, so we all decided to throw a lil’ party. Angie here helped us organize it n’ all.” Jesse piped up, grinning. “I made the latkes! Pretty damn proud, considerin’ I ain’t ever made ‘em before now.”

 

“Yes! And I helped form the little matzoh balls! It was amazing how big they grew, truly.” Reinhardt added, slapping Jesse on the back. He winced and let out a choked sound but kept smiling, far used to Reinhardt’s strength.

 

Fareeha turned at this, pouting. “Hey! Don’t forget me! I made _so_ many of those, you know.”

 

“Yes you did dear, you did wonderful.” Ana reached down to pat Fareeha’s head softly, mussing her hair. She squawked at the attention, whirling around to frown at her mother who only laughed.

 

“Yep, and the tree was all my doing. Took awhile to make those ornaments, you know,” Torbjorn mumbled.

 

Jack watched the team break apart and begin bickering in earnest, arguing amongst themselves about how they contributed and who did the most. Angela sighed after a moment and strode over to break up Torbjorn and Reinhardt, who had started arguing over who had more right to naming the tree a “Hanukkah Bush.”

 

He was distracted from the arguments by a warm hand on the small of his back. Jack jumped and turned to face Gabriel. He was smiling, affection written in every crease of his face.

 

“I take it this was your idea, Gabe?” he questioned, an eyebrow raised.

 

“Hmm?” Gabe glanced at Jack briefly before breaking the eye contact with a wave of his hand. “Yeah, I guess. I just mentioned how it’d be nice to get the team together, y’know. We had the cooks make something for the rest of Overwatch, but this room is just for us for now.”

 

Jack looked back at the room for a moment. The food, the games, their friends--it was the most enthusiasm he’d seen for Hanukkah since he left Indiana all those years ago. It left a warm feeling in his chest, something full and buzzing that he couldn’t quite place.

 

“Hey, Gabe,” he reached up and placed a hand on Gabriel’s cheek, reveling in the confused look he got. Leaning forward, he brought their lips together in a chaste but lingering kiss. _“Hanukkah Sameach._ And thank you.”

 

Gabe’s lovestruck smile was cut off by Jesse, who proceeded to make gagging sounds at them until Ana smacked him upside the head. Gabe burst out laughing, throwing his arms around Jack and pulling him in a tight hug.

 

\---

 

 **Date:** December 19th

 **Location:** Hollywood

 

It had been a rough couple of days, Jack reflected. No, not Jack--he was just another soldier now, a ghost wandering through. He had gotten wind of a possible Talon cell hiding out nearby and come as soon as he could, but so far nothing had greeted him but piss poor luck and a wild goose chase.

 

He shouldered his rifle with a sigh, trudging through the shadowed streets carefully. He was in a somewhat residential neighborhood now, but it never hurt to be extra cautious. As he strode down the sidewalk, a particular house caught his eye, lit in a soft glow unlike the others.

 

Upon approaching it, he found it wasn’t lit on the outside, but rather inside, through an open window. A small family, two fathers and their son, were gathered around the kitchen table. The boy was dwarfed by the long fabric of a tallit (no doubt his father’s), watching excitedly as one of the men lit a menorah. His lips moved rapidly, reciting a prayer the soldier recognized instantly.

 

Turning away from the building as if burned, he continued on down the street, keeping his head down. Now was not the time to be sentimental--he had a mission. Despite this, he couldn’t help the mutter under his breath,

 

 _“Hanukkah Sameach,_ Gabe.”

 

\---

 

 **Date:** November 27th

 **Location:** Watchpoint: Gibraltar

 

To say that the holidays were chaotic around the Watchpoint would be an understatement. It almost made Jack long for the days of being a vigilante, unknown, out by himself. One look around was enough to change that opinion, however.

 

The mess hall was decked out in numerous holiday lights, extending through the door and even into the kitchen and hallway. Blues and yellows flashed along the walls, reflecting off of paper snowflake patterns taped up behind them. The table was a ridiculous mix of foods, all of them traditionally Jewish, ranging from bagels and lox to the ever so popular latkes. Nearly every member of the newly reformed Overwatch was seated at the table, trading stories and conversation.

 

Jack watched with a smirk as Lucio stole blintzes from Hana’s plate while she was engaged in a conversation with Satya, who had arranged her applesauce and sour cream into perfectly neat squares on top of her latkes.

 

Mako and Jamison made an absolute mess of the table, much to the chagrin of Winston, seated beside them.

 

Tracer blinked around the room rapidly, changing activities--playing dreidel, grabbing a snack, bringing another helping for Zarya’s enormous appetite.

 

Sombra excitedly filmed Reinhardt chugging a large portion of matzoh ball soup, likely to use the footage later.

 

Ana piled Fareeha’s plate ever higher with food, insisting that she eat more. Fareeha blushed madly, face in her hands, while Angela trailed around them, spouting out nutritional information.

 

Genji had a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder, loudly attempting to convince him of the wondrous beverage that was an egg cream. McCree ended their debate by taking a long sip of one and spinning Hanzo around to pull him into a kiss. Genji wolf whistled and Zenyatta clapped softly while Amélie shook her head with a mutter, pointedly facing away from them.

 

Taken with the scene before him, Jack was startled when a pair of arms encircled his waist, a lightly bearded chin coming to rest on his shoulder.

 

“So? Did we get it right again this year?” Gabe rumbled, pressing a light kiss to Jack’s cheek.

 

“Yes, it’s great as always.” He laughed in response and gave him a peck on the lips in return. “Not complete though. Let’s light the menorah, yeah?”

 

Gabe hummed, reaching down to entwine their hands. “Sure. You should do the honors, _cariño._ Oh, and one other thing.”

 

“Hmm?” Jack tilted his head, his eyes sparkling with the reflection of the lights.

 

 _“Hanukkah Sameach,_ Jack.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I was planning on writing this all month, but when Blizzard promised us a "Holiday Event" and then gave us NO holidays but Christmas I absolutely had to. Seriously, Blizzard? With your diverse cast and everything? I would've taken Bastion with a kippah. Literally anything beyond a dreidel icon. There's no way Overwatch is comprised of 23 goyim, come on now. 
> 
> A huge thank you to my betas, [Kersenkipje](http://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryKip), [Kidyesterday](http://archiveofourown.org/users/daughterofthewest), and [Mango](http://archiveofourown.org/users/MalevolentMango)! Your lovely edits are very much appreciated, as always <3
> 
> You can find me on [tumblr](http://schrodingerslion.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/tsoleille)! I love chatting with people and I'm always always taking prompts. 
> 
> Happy Holidays, one and all!


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